Why Succession Planning Fails Without Middle Manager Development
Real talk: succession planning face-plants when it isn’t paired with intentional development for the leaders who actually keep the business moving: your middle managers.
The good news? That gap is completely fixable.
Jeff Rosenthal & Mary Rosen point out some of the most common traps companies fall into when approaching succession planning:
👄 All talk, no action. Talent reviews happen, but there’s no follow-through to build capability.
🫠 Politics over potential. Nervous senior leaders hoard their best people & talent for their own teams, or they promote those whose background, strategies, & approaches are identical to theirs.
😵💫 Doing a lot poorly vs. a little well. Too many roles are tracked, too few are prepared.
🐇 Process without strategy. Succession planning happens because it “should,” not because there’s a clear why.
🌍 Annual cadence in a quarterly world. Business realities shift faster than your slide deck.
So, what works instead?
Future-proofing pipelines with scenario planning, not just replacement planning.
Preparing high potentials with stretch assignments, coaching, & relationship-based learning.
Executing well by assigning owners, using scorecards, & creating accountability at the senior level.
Producing leaders who can bloom anywhere, not just in one department.
And here’s the overlooked multiplier: your middle managers.
Middle managers are the engine of execution & the linchpin of culture. If you want a succession pipeline that doesn’t stall out, this is where to start. The skills that prepare them to be next-generation leaders include:
Strategic thinking & business acumen to see beyond today’s tasks.
Cross-functional influence & crisp communication to unite silos.
Coaching for accountability & talent growth to build stronger teams.
Resilience in ambiguity & decisive change leadership to keep progress moving.
Problem-solving & an innovation mindset to anticipate challenges before they hit.
At The Perk, this is exactly what we do inside The Middle Manager Protocol. We translate leadership mindset into daily management actions, ensuring your middle managers aren’t just holding the line. They’re building your future bench.
Because real succession planning isn’t about filling today’s boxes. It’s about cultivating tomorrow’s leaders.
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